ART: MATTHEW CRAVEN’S TOMTEMISTIC WORKS

Stunning. Intricate. Complicated. Mathew Craven’s enormous (6 x 4) totem like creations that are part of his “cavalry SCARS” series are all those things and more; massive repetitive designs filled with shapes, colors and patterns that are entirely stagnant but almost appear in motion because of how they’re composed. They have a woven quality and seem destined to appear on quilts or clothing and will keep the viewer entertained as they try to figure out where one pattern stops and another begins. Simple yet elaborate, Craven’s work seems indubitably appropriate for a pole (totem) but lives on paper. Maybe they’re a representation of how he would design one, or even the blueprints to a design itself. If nothing else, they are a wonder to come across and once they have your attention, difficult to look away from.